A four-year Australian study has shed new light on one of the biggest workplace shifts of our time: working from home. Starting before the pandemic and continuing through the years that followed, researchers from the University of South Australia tracked how teleworking impacts employees’ daily lives. Their findings are clear: when it’s a choice rather than an obligation, remote work significantly boosts happiness, health, and overall well-being.
The Real Benefits of Working from Home
The pandemic acted as an accelerator, forcing millions into telework almost overnight. What many considered a temporary adjustment soon turned into a lifestyle change. This research, unique because it began before COVID-19, followed Australian workers across four years, offering an unusually comprehensive view of telework’s long-term effects.
The conclusion? The flexibility to work from home provides measurable benefits for both physical and mental health. While not without its challenges, the data strongly suggest that remote work can be a powerful tool for creating healthier, more balanced lives.
More Sleep, Less Stress
One of the most immediate effects of working from home was better sleep. On average, remote workers gained an extra 30 minutes of rest per night. Considering that Australians used to spend around 4.5 hours a week commuting, this isn’t surprising. Long commutes have long been linked to poor mental health and higher stress levels. By eliminating or reducing these daily journeys, employees experienced more energy, less fatigue, and greater peace of mind.
Although researchers noted a slight uptick in alcohol consumption during the early months of lockdowns, the overall trend was overwhelmingly positive, with clear improvements in mental well-being.
The Time-Saving Equation: Productivity Meets Personal Life
The time saved from not commuting proved to be invaluable. Some workers used it to get ahead on projects or manage household responsibilities, while others invested it in family care. Interestingly, about a third of that saved time was directed toward leisure and physical activity.
This balance between productivity and personal enrichment shows that remote work doesn’t simply give back hours—it redistributes them in healthier ways. Similar studies in Spain even suggest that teleworkers effectively gain up to 10 extra days of free time per year, time that can reduce sedentary behavior and improve overall health.
Eating Better at Home
Another notable change was in eating habits. While easy access to the kitchen did encourage more snacking at first, the broader trend leaned toward healthier meals. The study highlighted an increase in fruit, vegetable, and dairy consumption, along with more home-cooked dishes. Workers reported being more mindful about what they ate, proof that working from home can influence not just schedules, but also nutrition.
Addressing the Big Question: Productivity
Skepticism about remote work often comes down to productivity. Many managers worry that without oversight, employees might slack off. Yet the Australian study—echoing findings from other countries—suggests the opposite: performance is maintained, and in many cases, improved.
The key lies in distinguishing between forced telework and chosen telework. When working from home is mandated, as it was during strict lockdowns, well-being can decline due to isolation and stress. But when employees have the choice, their motivation and satisfaction rise.
That said, concerns remain about team cohesion and workplace relationships. While building camaraderie is more difficult at a distance, the research emphasizes that productivity does not suffer, and with the right support systems, collaboration can still thrive.
Towards a New Work Philosophy
The bigger takeaway from this multi-year study is not just about productivity or sleep—it’s about redefining how we view work itself. Employees who work remotely, either full-time or in hybrid models, consistently report higher job satisfaction, improved health, and a greater sense of control over their lives.
However, remote work is not a universal solution. It won’t suit every job, industry, or personality. Instead, it should be seen as one option within a more flexible, inclusive work environment. The real challenge for companies is to design systems that accommodate diverse needs, creating customized approaches that balance business performance with employee well-being.
As the researchers put it, this isn’t about choosing sides—remote versus office—but about building a future of work that embraces both.
The Australian study confirms what many workers have felt for years: flexibility matters. By cutting commuting stress, encouraging healthier lifestyles, and maintaining productivity, working from home has proven to be far more than a pandemic stopgap.
For employees, it means better well-being and more freedom. For businesses, it’s a chance to rethink management, culture, and performance. And for society, it marks the beginning of a new philosophy of work—one that values balance as much as output.
Some jobs need a lab like mine; I need to be in the lab most of my time. Yes, I agree with you that the option to work at home really helps, even for my job.
In big govt offices working from home with scrum to summarize the targets of the current sprint in 3 sentences made product owners to enjoy making consultants wrute down …. Read my lips!! Some experts would ralk for hours and days like they were filibustering only for us to realize that the logic was actually the opposite of what was written down as per the wuse crack heads. It felt nice to gear that the thing blew up in the face. Remote wirk builds small gangs that talk among themselves while the team is not even aware of what is going on. Now we have AI and people are being told they better learn to stay at home. It is very lonely in the office!!
I do not think this is true for all people. I did not like talking to a therapist that was doing the dishes and cleaning the bathroom. I also did not like like barn animals in the background of calls.
I was skeptical about working from home. Then the pandemic hit and had to do it. Three years later, when the return-to-office happened, I didn’t want to. It was a big influence in deciding to retire this year.
Took scientists 4 years and god knows how much tax money to find something out every one already knew.
I tried working from home, but it’s tough fueling an Airbus A-321 from my living room. Dog and cats fussed about it, too.
Would you please add author credit for the original researchers and institution?
It might make us happier but it’s questionable whether it helps overall productivity
Depending on the profession, there is nearly zero mentoring or institutional learning for home workers. If your business requires good rapport and interaction between employees, have them come to the office.
Personally, I prefer to work somewhere other than home. I find it harder to maintain productivity and avoid personal distractions at home.
Maybe happier but not more productive. If I could play with the dog or throw my laundry in the dryer while working sure that would make me happier. There are a reasons companies are making people come back to work productivity and profits.
Wrong
Well, no sh*t it makes you happier; you’re not having somebody watching what you do and you only have to do half the damn work.
Of course people like working from home, because there not working.
I wish this were more of a focus in the US. The “Big Boss” style CEOs are determined to do everything they can to keep people’s lives under their thumbs
Because working from home is less productive and requires less effort. It takes twice as many work from home employees to get the job done.
Nope, the dinosaurs want us in the office “where they can keep an eye on us”, disregarding entirely that I have a set workload and it would be blazingly, blindingly obvious if I was slacking. It’s all about control, and some jack wagon middle manager that wants a captive audience for their “should’ve been an email” hour-long self-congratulatory meetings.
I agree 100%. The financial tech company that I worked for just didn’t get it. They went the other way and brought everybody back into the office. I couldn’t wait to retire.
I agree. When I was working from home I was a lot happier and waaayyyyy less stressed, and not that working from home was not stressful at times of course. After being laid off I would love to find work from home again.